Dear Pharmacist,I watched Montel Williams talk about his multiple sclerosis on Oprah. He described a knife-like, burning pain in his legs similar to what I experience. Since I’ve started taking vitamin B12, which you suggested in your book, Drug Muggers: How To Keep Your Medicine From Stealing the Life Out of You, my pain has lessened. What other suggestions do you have for people with MS?J.P. , Seattle, Wash.

Answer: Williams has been open about his diagnosis, but never has he been so forward about the degree of pain and disability that he faces. Just like many of you with MS, every day is an uphill climb.

Your nerves are surrounded by a fatty layer called “myelin,” which acts like insulation. With MS, the myelin unravels and the nerves get so sensitive that they short-circuit. This creates burning pain, tingling and numbness.

Certain nutrients, such as vitamin B12, protect the nervous system. You can eat all the B12-rich foods you want. But if your gut is in bad shape or you take a drug mugger of B12, you will still be deficient in the nutrient and your nervous system pays the price.

Acid blocking drugs and diabetic medications are drug muggers for B12. People who have digestive disorders, Lou Gehrig’s disease, spinal degeneration, dementia, Alzheimer’s and chronic fatigue/fibromyalgia are usually low in B12.

I recommend only the methylcobalamin form (not cyano) of B12, which you can buy at a health food store or online. I also recommend that you take probiotic supplements to replenish your intestinal flora and improve B12 utilization.

What else can you do to ease the pain? Take cod liver oil, because it is especially rich in vitamins A, D and DHA, an essential fatty acid that supports nerve health. I recommend all the supplements I talked about in my recent column on TNF (Tumor Necrosis Factor).

It’s a good idea to completely eliminate gluten from your diet. I know, I know, you want your bread and pasta, but I’m sorry to say gluten (a wheat protein) has been repeatedly implicated in MS, rheumatoid arthritis and type 1 diabetes.

For some people, eating foods with gluten is like putting acid on an open sore. Gluten (or casein) may be the dietary trigger that destroys myelin. People who are gluten intolerant are diagnosed with “celiac disease,” and they usually have irritable bowel problems.

But you don’t necessarily get GI problems. It’s shocking that gluten allergies can actually manifest as a neurological disorder.

Eat gluten-free for six to 12 months and if it helps clear your symptoms, then stick with it forever.

Other important pain-relieving supplements include phosphatidylcholine, glutathione, melatonin and alpha lipoic acid.